"Sunita," an animated film, tells the story of a poor woman who faces the loss of her home and livelihood. Photo credit: WRI

WRI’s The Access Initiative created its “Sunita” video to bring attention to the environmental injustices that countless impoverished communities face. But recently, it’s the video itself that’s getting all the attention.

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“Sunita” tells the story of a poor woman who faces the loss of her home and livelihood because her local government failed to involve citizens in its environmental and development decision-making. The message embodies the work that The Access Initiative strives to do—boost public participation in governance decisions in order to foster economic development that is both environmentally friendly and socially just.

“Millions of women like Sunita have a similar story to tell, and they live all around the world – sometimes they are our next door neighbors,” said Lalanath de Silva, director of The Access Initiative and narrator of the video. “If we want development to help people like Sunita, then we have to do business differently and include them in our plans and decisions.”

“Lalanath has been telling the Sunita story for quite some time,” said Dave Cooper, WRI’s film and brand manager. “When he told it to me, I knew immediately that an animated video was the way to go. Now you not only hear Sunita’s story—you see it, too. That brings her to life, making her all the more relatable.”